The Invasion of Norway

Today me and Christian played a game of Shipwreck at Morning Star Games. The scenario was an amphibious assault on a Fjord in Norway. I was playing the Norwegians and Americans while Christian was playing the communist invaders.The game was a milestone in several ways. It was on of the most complex scenarios we've tried yet, with ships, aircraft, a sub, and shore batteries. It was also one of the longest games we ever played, at almost 3 hours. Most games of Shipwreck are over in 5-6 turns, this game lasted 15! I also used this game to tryout my alternate submarine rules. Here's a play by play of the action.

Turn 1
My force of 2 Hauk class patrol boats, 2 Pegasus class Hydrofoils, and 3 shore batteries were deployed hidden through out the area. I also had P-3B and 2 F-16 fighters. The KGB let Christian down in not being able to find out where the fixed batteries were. Christian first entered the table with his combat escorts, the landing ships were still off board. All of Christian's ships were detected by a P-3B I had patrolling the area. The P-3B then fired 4 Harpoons at the Kara class cruiser Kerch, but all were shot down.

P-3B looking for targets.

Russian Combat ships entering the board at the front the Krivak II frigate Bessmennyy, followed by the Kara class Cruiser Kerch, the destroyer Sovremennyy, the helicopter carrier Moskva, and the Sverdlov cruiser Alexander Nevski. 

Turn 2
The landing ships arrived on table. The P-3B detected all but 1 of the landing ships and passed the location of the Sverdlov class cruiser Alexander Nevski to my submarine Kya. Kya started her attack run but only roll 1 successful avoidance dice, so she had to start her run long range. I was also successful in calling in the F-16 strike.

The landing ships arrive on table, 3 Alligator class LST (one undetected), and the LPD Ivan Rogov. Meanwhile Moskva and the escorts launch several more helicopters.

Turn 3
By this time the Soviets had detected all of my patrol boats with either helicopters or surface radar. The P-3B was able to detect the last landing ship. The F-16 arrived but were driven off by long range SAM fire before they could launch there missiles. This was bad news for me as I need them to hunt down helicopters.

The Pegasus hydrofoils Aries and Hercules hiding behind an island.

 

The Hauk class patrol boats Hauk and Orn near one of the possible invasion beaches.

 

F-16A Falcons had towards the Russian fleet.

Turn 4
The Pegasus class patrol boats Aries and Hercules came out from behind one of the islands and fired all 16 of there Harpoons, aiming to take out as many escorts as possible. Kerch retaliated with 8 SS-N-14d missiles. The destroyer Sovremenny also fired 4 SS-N-22s at the Hauks. Only 2 of the Harpoons made it through heavy damaging the helicopter carrier Moskva, but not taking her out of action. Both the Pegasus were sunk, as was the Hauk class patrol boat Orn.

SS-N-14d Missiles head towards the Pegasus class patrol boats as they deploy chaff.

Russian ships deploy chaff as harpoon missiles approach.

Despite a spirited defense that saw all but 3 of incoming missile either decoyed or shot down; both Aries and Hercules are sunk.

Moskva burns after being struck by 2 Harpoon missiles.

Turn 5
Shore battery 1 setup at the entrance to the Fjord is visually detected by a Ka-25 Hormone B. The Hormone was then ran off by 20mm AA fire. The Sovremennyy fired 2 more SS-N-22 sinking Hauk, my last patrol boat.

Turn 6
Shore battery 2 is detected in the Fjord by helicopter as the Russian ships continue to move towards the Fjord.

Turn 7
Alexander Nevski and Sovremennyy destroy Shore Battery 1 after a brief gun battle.

 

Alexander Nevski and Sovremennyy bombard Shore Battery 1 destroying it. If fire back several times but the fire was ineffective.

Turn 8
The Soviet Invasion force continued to move towards the Fjord.

Turn 9
Using the shallow water to her advantage, Kya was able to close to very short range of Alexander Nevski. She torpedoed the light cruiser causing heavy damage. The soviets fired several guided torpedoes and ASW missiles at the submarine, but they either missed or were evaded.

Alexander Nevski burns after being torpedo by the diesel submarine Kya.

Turn 10
Kya fired two more torpedoes at Alexander Nevski, crippling him. Kya was then sunk by a lucky depth charge hit.

The submarine Kya is sunk by the helicopters, but Alexander Nevski is in real bad shape.

Turn 11
The damage to Alexander Nevski proved too much and the ship sunk. Sovremenny, Kerch, Bessmenny and Ivan Rogov all entered the fjord.

Turn 12
All of the Alligator LSTs entered the fjord.

Turn 13
Shore Battery 2 was destroyed by naval bombardment. It did however, managed to damage the Sovremennyy.

Shore Battery 2 damages Sovremennyy before being destroyed by Naval Bombardment.

Turn 14
The Norwegians made one last attempt to stop the invasion. Shore Battery 3, a mobile missile launcher, fired all 8 of its penguin missiles at the Ivan Rogov. Only 2 of the missiles made to the target. The Ivan Rogov was heavy damaged losing one of its helicopter pads and a good number of troops, but wasn't crippled or sunk.

Shore Battery 3 fires Penguin missiles at Ivan Rogov.

Turn 15
With nothing left to fight with, it was obvious that the Soviet Invasion would succeed.

Overall a very good game. Christians very effective AA fire early in the game really made a difference. The alternate submarine rules also worked really well.